Someone has said that the only people that like change are wet babies... and even they aren’t too excited about it. Consider what happened when God brought change to the early church.

OPEN: Back in 1912, Ford Motor Co. had a production manager named William Knudsen - considered one of the best in his field. Knudsen became convinced that the Model T (which had been in production for 4 years now) had to be updated. But, the only problem was - Henry Ford loved his creation so much
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Colossians speaks of "the mystery" that has been revealed to us. What is this mystery and what can it mean to us?

OPEN: One of the greatest scientists of our time was Albert Einstein. He was a man who was so focused on his scientific theories. He was so focused, he often neglected even the simplest things of life, such as personal appearance (as evidenced by his hair).
One time, Albert Einstein was taking
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Years before Hebrews was written, God had declared there would be "New Covenant." This new legal contract had better promises than the Old one, but what is better?

OPEN: After the death of Elvis Presley it became fairly common to read headlines in the Tabloids such as: "I was Elvis’ Love Child" or "Elvis’ Ghost is My Father". Many people claimed to be related to "The King" either for the prestige of wearing his name or possibly to try and get a share of his
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(Showed Clip of “Clarence” trying to convince George Bailey he’d really had a wonderful life. Used scene where they were drying their clothes out after George “saved” Clarence from drowning)
OPEN: A Sunday school teacher once asked her class of children: “What is Christmas a time for?” Many of
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Why did God nearly kill Moses on the road to Egypt and what can that mean for us?

OPENING: It seems that, down south, some recent excavations for a new high-way had contributed to causing a flash flood. Volunteers risked their lives to rescue victims stranded in the deluge. One old man was up to his knees in the rising waters when a rowboat came. "Hop in, we’ll save you!"
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Several 100 yrs ago, Augustine said "In faith unity. In doubtful things, liberty. In all things love". How can we apply that concept to our mission as a church?

OPEN: There’s a Methodist minister named J. Gordon Melton who has an interesting hobby. He collects lists of church denominations in the United States... and his research has revealed there are 1517 different recognized denominations in USA. He includes all kinds of groups, including cults such as
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Galatians 3:16 talks about the fact that Jesus was the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham’s seed? But why did Paul say that and what can it mean to us today?

OPEN: In my files I have list of some unusual laws:
· In Birmingham, Alabama, it is illegal to drive a car while blindfolded.
· In Detroit it’s unlawful to tie a crocodile to a fire hydrant.
· Natchez, Mississippi has a law that forbids giving an elephant beer to drink.
· And if you tie your
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Through this passage one can understand that Abraham was justified before he was circumcised and before the Law was given. Circumcision and legal obedience are not necessary conditions of justification

ROMANS 4:9-15
THE FATHER OF THE FAITHFUL
Paul has proven that Abraham was not justified nor forgiven on account of his good actions. But what was the nature of the Covenant made with Abraham? Was the promise made on the condition of faith, or on the condition of circumcision, which was the
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A look at the progression of events that led to the walls of Jericho coming down.

STEPS TO THE WALLS COMING DOWN:
By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.
Hebrews 11:30
1. Crossing of the Jordan on the 10th day of the first month. 4:19
a. Just before Passover was to be observed, God brought them into the place of
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Why would God seek to kill Moses? And why does Zipporah have to circumcize her boy to stop God from doing it?

OPEN: Jeffrey Sackett once observed:
Think of how often in scripture it is the woman who is the vehicle for ministry.
· Who prompted Jesus to perform His first miracle? A Woman! (His mother)
· Who ministered to Christ during His public ministry? The women!
· Who anointed Jesus’ feet? The
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God could have had Abraham put a tattoo on his arm or any one of a thousand other signs, but instead He chose the sign of circumcision? Why in the world? And, beyond that, what relevance does that have for Christians today?

OF ALL THE POSSIBLE OPTIONS FOR A SIGN TO THE ISRAELITES, WHY DID GOD CHOOSE CIRCUMCISION? The promise was a miraculous physical child that would be the father to a physical people, so the sign had to do with sex.
- Genesis 17:4-13.
- Notice in these verses all the physical signs:
- v. 4
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El Shaddai promises an eternal covenant with Abraham and gives him the covenant of circumcision.

Last week we saw that Abraham tried to rush God by having a son through Hagar. Thirteen years pass and he’s given up any hope of his 90 year old wife giving him a son, so he considers Ishmael to be the son of the promise (:18). But God has other plans:
And when Abram was ninety years old
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Appointed Gospel reading is only one verse for the day-- but if you dig in.... its pretty incredible

Concordia Lutheran Church
New Years Day, 2010
“Only one Verse?”
Luke 2:21
Grace and Peace to you, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ!
Really?
It is perhaps the first time that I have seen such occur, the first time that the assigned gospel reading was just one verse.
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This is an installment in my expository series through the book of Romans.

“And Justice for All”
Romans 2:12-29
October 5, 2008
52. That’s the usual speed at which they nab me, at least in a 35; it’s 62 in a 45, something about 17 miles over the speed limit that tends to grab the attention of the nice officers. In my
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In our walk in faith do we really stand up for what is right? Do you feel a little bit of obedience and a little of the world is okay for a Christian? Do you follow the worldly culture and customs and in turn compromises on the values and principles of th

Never Compromise
Introduction: We all have been chosen, called, and separated by God for true worship. In our walk in faith do we really stand up for what is right? Do you feel a little bit of obedience and a little of the world is okay for a Christian? Do you follow the worldly culture and
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